Jody Wood and Michele Kahane co-hosted Student Explorations in Care to bring together students from urban-based Parsons School of Design and the small town Texas-based Sam Houston State University. Students explored the role of art and design in creating more caring and inclusive communities, cities, organizations and systems. Jody shared several of projects that specifically focus on care including Social Pharmacy and Choreographing Care
Students were given a platform to present their work with physical artefacts and experiential elements related to their projects. The following students presented:


Carlos Celis, The Community Gardens Collective for Trash and Environmental Culture:

The Community Gardens Collective for Trash and Environmental Culture is a project that relies on education and visual storytelling to (1) transform our daily interactions with trash so we can produce less and recycle more and (2) strengthen community gardens' capacities for trash management. Carlos is pursuing his Ph.D. in Public and Urban Policy at The New School.


Glenda Pivaral, Social Mending:

Mobile mending station that invites the public to examine the intersection between craft, labor, time, and consumption. The project aims to strengthen fraying social fabric through the tactile act of communal mending. Glenda has attended the MFA in Art and Social Practice at Sam Houston State University in Texas.



Sofia Kavlin, Unsent letter mailbox:

Using urban play as a methodology and source of inspiration, Sofia’s project titled Unsent Letter mailbox was placed as a temporary installation piece in Washington Square park in Greenwich Village, NYC and invited people to create a space for vulnerability and stark openness amidst a bustling and impersonal urban center. Sofia earned her MS from the Parsons Design and Urban Ecology Program.

Caroline Batzdorf and Cas Esteve, Rolling Roots Mini-Farms:

Rolling Roots Mini-Farms (RRMF) is a multidisciplinary collaborative of architects, artists, designers, and urban farmers that is on a mission to address food insecurity by increasing the convenience of and access to community gardening and farming opportunities, and all the associated benefits. RRMF is bringing the land to the community through mobile mini-farms, and developing site-appropriate urban agriculture and arts programming in partnership with community-based organizations. Caroline holds a Master’s in Nonprofit Management and Cas has a Master’s in Transdisciplinary Design, both from The New School.

Raiha Zainab, Connection Project:

Focused on creating spaces for authentic connection, the Connection Project invites people to cultivate genuine connections with one another in a world that is often overrun by superficial interactions. Through conversation cards, participants are invited to spark meaningful conversations that dig beneath the surface. Raiha earned her BA at The New School in Business and Journalism.

Ghalia Khan, Threads of Transformation:

A project that examines the effects of hand loom engagement with various demographic groups. Through art, it aims to transform personal narratives of pain into healing and empowerment. By embracing creativity, the project supports psychological, emotional, and community well-being, particularly for those who may not seek traditional therapy. It serves as an inclusive platform for support, showcasing the transformative power of art in fostering resilience and connection within diverse communities. Ghalia has attended the MFA in Art and Social Practice at Sam Houston State University in Texas.


Tony Rincon, Threshold Blueprints:

A project that invites participants to engage with cyanotype artworks, emphasizing the sensory experience of touch and/or conversations that revolve around human connection in a post-lockdown digital reality. Tony has attended the MFA in Art and Social Practice at Sam Houston State University in Texas.


Kari Fuentes Quinteros and Rodolfo Kusulas, The Intuition Journey:

Curious about our mind-body disconnection, Kari and Rodolfo, have worked on developing a creative practice focused on introspection and self-awareness to implement within different design processes. They shared some exploratory work around resonances and body awareness. Kari and Rodolfo graduated from the MFA in Transdisciplinary Design Program at Parsons.

Evelyn McAdam, Untitled:

Evelyn shared sketches and plans for an upcoming vertical garden project. Evelyn is pursuing both an MFA in Social Practice and a Master's Degree in Agriculture at Sam Houston State University in Texas.



Lilibeth Flores, The Bubble Cycle:

Newspaper publication chronicling the stories, events, and other subjects submitted by patrons of a local laundromat. The Bubble Cycle serves as an intersection where different audiences may relate to one another in a shared space.Lilibeth has attended the MFA in Art and Social Practice at Sam Houston State University in Texas.



Kanza Nasir, From Excess to Access:

A project that explores ways of recycling excess produced as a result of donations to shelters and incorporating it into a functional commodity made in collaboration with the lodgers spreading the concept of gift economy. Kanza has attended the MFA in Art and Social Practice at Sam Houston State University in Texas.



Astha Sethi, Care Corners:

Care Corner is a space to make someone feel better through care, craft, and creativity. It can exist in many spaces, such as afterschool, workplaces, neighborhoods, public parks, and other community centers. Care Corner can also be applied to various forms of craft, such as origami, embroidery, and more. Astha completed her MS in Strategic Design and Management at Parsons.


Magda Macias, Human Immigration Library:

Explores immigrant experiences by hosting guided dialogs within an installation environment. The installation visually references invisibility and bureaucratic systems of control that affect the lives of immigrants. Magda has attended the MFA in Art and Social Practice at Sam Houston State University in Texas.



Marcelle Cavazos, Sacred Conversations:

Interactive public sculpture and paintings exploring how ritual and healing can be interwoven with daily life outside of a religious context. The installation visually references a Catholic confession booth. Marcelle has attended the MFA in Art and Social Practice at Sam Houston State University in Texas.

Jody Wood presents to students of The New School and Sam Houston State

Jody Wood and students in motion

Jody Wood and Michele Kahane in conversation with student designer Sofia Kavlin and joined by Monika Wuhrer from Open Source.

Featured Parsons student work by Kari Fuentes Quinteros and Rodolfo Kusulas